Raised in a small town in Florida by two public school educators, Heather Pigman ’94 had only two criteria as she surveyed her college prospects 鈥� it had to be an in-state school to accommodate her full-ride scholarship, and it had to be somewhere that offered more opportunity than her beach town upbringing.
At that time, legacy universities in very small towns were really the only well-known game in town. But when a friend shared their plans to attend 麻豆原创 in Orlando, Pigman took note.
鈥溌槎乖� was totally not on my radar, but Orlando was,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t might as well have been Manhattan, [New York]. Looking back, it鈥檚 wild how big I thought Orlando was.鈥�
And while Pigman found the 3 a.m. grocery store runs and budding restaurant scene riveting, it was the pioneering spirit of her fellow Knights that really made her feel at home.
Ready to make your own mark on Knight Nation? Celebrate 麻豆原创 Day of Giving on April 10 by to the college, program or area that鈥檚 most important to you.
鈥溌槎乖� attracts a certain kind of person 鈥� it did then, and it still does today. Those of us that don鈥檛 recognize or bow to limitations around who we are and what we can do. We鈥檙e just going to do it,鈥� says Pigman, who earned a bachelor’s in history.
This unflappable gumption was no new concept for Pigman 鈥� it ran in her blood. Pigman鈥檚 parents, both born in the coal mining area of Kentucky, experienced the realities of extreme poverty growing up. In fact, her paternal grandfather left school in just third grade to work in the coal mines.
Her father鈥檚 family sacrificed a great deal to ensure at least one of them could break free from the poverty cycle 鈥� and they chose Pigman鈥檚 father for that mission. He went on to earn two college degrees and become a teacher.
Then there was Pigman鈥檚 mother, who encouraged her daughter to use education as a tool to exploring paths beyond the typical careers she鈥檇 grown up around, such as homemaking, nursing and teaching.
鈥淢y mother only gave me one stipulation around college,鈥� says Pigman. 鈥淪he told me, 鈥榊ou can go wherever and do whatever, as long as you’re not going to limit yourself to the choices your father and I made.鈥欌��
Once Pigman knew what she was not going to do, she used her time at 麻豆原创 to explore the different career paths available to her. It was a guest lecture featuring a group of lawyers that finally guided her toward practicing law.
She sat captivated as they engaged in a passionate, but civil debate on hot-button issues of the time. The intelligent conversation, the carefully constructed arguments 鈥� it left her inspired.
Today, Pigman is a sought-after attorney with Hollingsworth LLP in Washington, D.C. And while she continues to carry that renegade spirit forth through her work, she has felt a calling to support the next generation of barrier breakers through her alma mater.
This 麻豆原创 Day of Giving, she鈥檚 committed a new gift of nearly $1 million to student scholarships, as well as student development and experiential learning services, through the Collins/Pigman Family Endowed Scholarship and the Experiential Learning Fund.
鈥淢y parents believed that education changes lives 鈥� especially because it changed their lives. These scholarships are my way of paying it forward,鈥� Pigman says.
This is the latest in a series of gifts that Pigman has given to support 麻豆原创 students, including endowed funds, which are already impacting Knights today, as well as a planned gift intended for future generations.
鈥淢y parents believed that education changes lives 鈥� especially because it changed their lives. These scholarships are my way of paying it forward.鈥�
鈥淭his scholarship came from the idea that if there’s someone out there who wants to go to college and doesn鈥檛 have the same academic free-ride I had 鈥� maybe they had to work their way through high school or they faced some other challenges 鈥� that they would be able to do so,鈥� Pigman says.
In addition to funding tuition, books, housing and living expenses through the scholarship fund, a portion of Pigman鈥檚 pledge is allocated to supporting students in their pursuit of experiential learning opportunities, such an internships.
“Sometimes you just need a little financial support in order to take advantage of these massive opportunities,鈥� says Pigman. 鈥淎nd they can be helpful in so many ways 鈥� whether it be securing employment, getting a foot in the door or even just finding out if a field is really for you.鈥�
An internship is what guided Pigman to the area of law she practices today. A law school professor recommended her for a summer clerkship with a judge in Miami. The additional living costs on top of her student loans were intimidating, but Pigman鈥檚 parents helped cover the expenses, and what she experienced that summer shaped her future.
It was a critical turning point in Pigman鈥檚 career, one that would not have been possible without a little help. 麻豆原创鈥檚 experiential learning fund, to Pigman, felt like a golden opportunity to offer that same kind of support to others.
鈥淢y parents instilled this idea of boundless opportunity in me and my 麻豆原创 experience continued broadening the possibilities. Nothing felt off limits 鈥� there was nothing I couldn鈥檛 do. And I’m thrilled to carry that legacy forward and hopefully stoke that same fire in new generations of Knights.鈥�
